Football is, by far, England’s favorite sport. With origins dating back to the mid-1800s, the sport has developed massively in the past century-and-a-half. Today, it is the most popular sport worldwide, watched by over 3 billion fans globally, and played by over half-a-billion people around the world. The sport can be dated back to England, and is the country’s favorite sport, even supplanting cricket, the national sport of the United Kingdom. The English have produced some fantastic football players, and in this article we are going to take a look at the best players that have ever come from England.
David Beckham
David Beckham is one of England’s most popular players. His early career saw him playing for Manchester United; by far England’s most successful and popular club. For a long time, and even still today, Manchester United has been ranked as England’s most prestigious team, often being placed as the odds-on favorite on numerous wagering sites like betstation.com.
Beckham started his career with United in 1991, and played with the team for a long time. After switching teams, a couple of times, he ended up going abroad and playing for Real Madrid. In doing so he became one of the few English players to succeed on an international level. Beckham is the first Englishman to win league titles in four countries, and in 2008 he was inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame.
Steven Gerrard
Nowadays, Steven Gerrard is involved with the sport in a purely managerial capacity. However, up until as recently as 2015, Mr. Gerrard was considered one of the greatest players of his generation. He spent most of his career playing central midfield for Liverpool, and during his stint with the club he won nine trophies, most notably the UEFA Champions League. Gerrard also spent a good portion of his career playing for the English national team, which he captained.
During the mid-2000s, Steven Gerrard helped England qualify for the World Cup, earning himself a spot among the, so-called, Golden Generation. Today, he manages Aston Villa, one of England’s most popular Premier League clubs. In the 2022 Premier League, the Villans are ranked 12.
Sir Bobby Charlton
Charlton is considered by many fans of football, especially in England, to be one of the greatest players of all time (and many would argue, maybe even the greatest). A member of Manchester United’s famous/infamous Busby Babes, Charlton captained the team during 1968, when they won the European Cup. He was also a member of the English team that won the FIFA World Cup two years prior. That same year Charlton won the Ballon d’Or.
Apart from his numerous honors and awards, Charlton was famous for his long-range shot, his fantastic passing skills, and his unparalleled stamina. What is even more impressive, in all his years playing the field, Robert Charlton was cautioned only twice. For this contribution to the game of football and the country, Bobby Charlton was knighted in 1994.